I just started work a few weeks ago as a custodian in Denver International Airport. Even before starting work, I had heard the legends and strange stories about the place. Caverns under the airport for the government to use during doomsday, secret Illuminati references in the airport murals, and the terrifying horse statue outside the airport that fell on and killed its sculptor. To be honest, I didn’t think much of all these stories. I thought it was just like any other airport. I know better now.

Last night I was working on mopping up all the muck on the concourse B train platform, glad that this was my last task for the day before getting to head home. Looking at the clean platform with exhausted pride, I took my cleaning cart and rolled it towards the custodial closet, opening it with my key. Not wanting to get yelled at on Monday, I checked all of the cleaning supplies on the cart and made sure the mop was fully dry. I smiled, happy with my work, and turned around to catch one of the airport trains to the terminal.

That was when I first noticed that I was alone on the platform. It was the evening, but usually at this time on a Friday there was a lot of hustle and bustle as people flew back into Denver from work trips, or flew out for vacations. I didn’t think too much of it though, and just assumed I was lucky to hit a lull. I leaned against the wall next to the side of the platform for trains heading back to the terminal, and started imagining what I’d buy from King Soopers for dinner.

The train arrived with a hiss and the doors opened. I hopped into one of the cars, noting that it too was entirely empty. The whole train was as a matter of fact. The doors shut with a hiss, and I heard the train start moving. I sat and closed my eyes to have a few minutes of peace before I had to deal with the crowd in the terminal and the shuttle back to Arvada.

When the train hissed to a stop again, I opened my eyes to find that we were not at the terminal, but at a train platform I had never seen before. I looked outside as the doors opened, and saw a sign labeled “Maintenance”. I assumed I had boarded a train that was being taken out of service by mistake. I sighed and I got off the train, hoping to find a back way to the terminal

A man in a jumpsuit came out of a door on the platform and froze as he saw me. “You’re not supposed to be here,” he said softly.

I nodded and smiled sheepishly “Yeah - I work in custodial,” I flashed him my employee badge. “I was trying to get to the terminal and hopped on this train by mistake. Can you help me out?”

He nodded. “Sure, it happens all the time when we take trains down for maintenance. Just through that door and follow the line on the floor and you’ll end up in the terminal,” he smiled. “And don’t worry, I won’t mention it to anyone, we all get turned around at some point.”

I thanked him and went through the door. On the other side there was a corridor that had red, green, and yellow lines on the floor, all branching out from the door. On the ceiling was a sign with what color you should take to reach each destination. After reading the sign, I took the red line for the terminal and followed it around a corner.

As I walked the empty hallways, I started to feel uneasy. The corridors were spotless, but none of my co-workers had ever talked about cleaning down here. I tried to calm my fears by reminding myself that I was new and still didn’t know the entire airport, but no matter how much I tried to comfort myself I just couldn’t shake the creeping feeling.

At the end of the red line I found a door, but it was labeled “Maintenance Office” not “Terminal”. I looked up at another sign, and realized I had misread. The terminal was at the end of the green line, not the red one. I groaned. Not really wanting to walk back the entire way I had come, I decided to hell with it, I’d just see if anyone in the office could help.

I knocked, but no one answered, so I opened the door.

The room seemed to be set up like some kind of control room, with monitors and computers everywhere. On some of the monitors I saw video feeds from the various train platforms, and on others diagrams that looked like blueprints of some kind.

As I kept looking, I gulped. On one of the monitors was a still photo of me from the train platform along with my personnel file.

This should have scared me, but before I could think about it too much, I became preoccupied with what I found on the last monitor’s video feed. The feed showed a large room with a green line leading from the door up to a strange looking chair suspended from the ceiling, with what appeared to be a giant covered manhole underneath it. Two men in jumpsuits were on each side of the door, while a man in a suit stood next to the chair.

My blood ran cold as I realized that if I had followed the instructions correctly, I would have ended up in that room.

I should have ran, but instead I just froze in fear, my heart pounding in my chest. I was roused when I saw the door on the screen open, and a man with a roller bag entered the door. He seemed confused about where he was, but before he could react one of the men by the door shoved a taser into his side.

The traveler collapsed to the floor, and they carried him to the chair, strapping him into restraints as he tried to struggle. One of them opened the manhole, and an unnatural purple glow radiated out from the opening. I could see the captive man’s eyes fill with terror as he looked down. The man in a suit pressed some buttons on the wall, and the suspension cables above the chair began to lower it into the hole.

I stared, entranced and horrified. I could see the empty chair coming back up from the manhole when the maintenance worker I met on the train platform came into the large room. He looked angry, and began shouting at the others. After a few moments, everyone except the suited man ran out of the room, and I knew I had to get out of there.

I stepped out the door and back into the corridors. I could hear footfalls and muffled voices echoing down the halls. I didn’t have much time, and I had no idea where I was or how to get out. I figured my best bet was to follow the yellow line and hope that wherever it would take me would be somewhere I could hide.

I ran as quickly as I could down the hallway following the yellow line. I felt my lungs burning, but I kept up my pace. I could hear the footfalls and voices growing louder behind me. I didn’t know what my fate would be if they caught me, but I knew it involved whatever was under that manhole.

The yellow path ended at a door labeled “Machine Room - No Exit”. I turned the handle, only to find it locked. I rammed my body into it, and it shook some, but didn’t open. The footfalls were louder now, I guessed only just around the corner. I kicked the door in desperation, and it burst open into a hallway near one of the bathrooms in the Terminal.

I ran out into the terminal, and did my best to blend in with the evening travelers. I hazarded a glance behind me, and saw three of the men in jumpsuits looking around the terminal.

I tried to stay inconspicuous and waited until I was out one of the exits before I ran towards the bus stop, and joined the line to get on it.

As I sat down on the bus, a traveler with a roller bag bumped into me and sat down next to me. He smiled at me. “Sorry about that, “ he said, “I’m just so grateful to be out of the airport, it felt like I’d be there forever.”

I glanced out the bus window and found one of my pursuers staring at me as the bus drove away. I smiled at the man sitting next to me. “Me too.”